Brave New Brain

Conquering Mental Illness in the Era of the Genome

Nancy C. Andreasen

Brave New Brain

Conquering Mental Illness in the Era of the Genome

Nancy C. Andreasen

Description

Here, leading neuroscientist Nancy Andreasen offers a state-of-the-art look at what we know about the human brain and the human genome--and shows how these two vast branches of knowledge are coming together in a boldly ambitious effort to conquer mental illness. Andreasen gives us an engaging and readable description of how it all works---from billions of neurons, to the tiny thalamus, to the moral monitor in our prefrontal cortex. She shows the progress made in mapping the human genome, whose 30,000 to 40,000 genes are almost all active in the brain. We read gripping stories of the people who develop mental illness, the friends and relatives who share their suffering, the physicians who treat them, and the scientists who study them so that better treatments can be found. Four major disorders are covered--schizophrenia, manic depression, anxiety disorders, and dementia--revealing what causes them and how they affect the mind and brain. Finally, the book shows how the powerful tools of genetics and neuroscience will be combined during the next decades to build healthier brains and minds. By revealing how combining genome mapping with brain mapping can unlock the mysteries of mental illness, Andreasen offers a remarkably fresh perspective on these devastating diseases.

Brave New Brain

Conquering Mental Illness in the Era of the Genome

Nancy C. Andreasen

Author Information

Nancy C. Andreasen, M.D., Ph.D., is Andrew H. Woods Chair of Psychiatry at The University of Iowa College of Medicine and the Editor-in-Chief of The American Journal of Psychiatry. She has written hundreds of articles and ten other books, including The Broken Brain, the first book to describe the importance of neurobiology to understanding mental illness. She lives in Iowa City and Santa Fe.

Brave New Brain

Conquering Mental Illness in the Era of the Genome

Nancy C. Andreasen

Reviews and Awards

"[A] gripping account.... A truly outstanding book. Brave New Brain informs, provokes thought, conveys the excitement of science, indicates why science matters, and considers both the achievements with respect to clinical application and the difficulties involved. Quite an achievement!"--Science

"Excellent introductions to neuroscience, brain imaging, and genetics. Outstanding overviews of what is known about the neuroscience and genetics of the major psychiatric disorders of schizophrenia, mood disorders, dementia, and anxiety disorders. The descriptions of the history and neuroscience of medication are especially good."--Nature

"Written with clarity and sensitivity, this study offers a refreshing, optimistic vision of the future." --Library Journal

"[Brave New Brain] is clear, extremely informative and conveys the excitement of biological psychiatry that has been energized by the genome and imaging."--Judith L. Rapoport, M.D., National Institute of Mental Health